…and they told two friends

If you were watching TV in North America in the late seventies and early eighties, you will remember the Faberge Organics shampoo commercial featuring a young Heather Locklear. This was the first description of how something went viral, long before social media sharing would rise up and make that ‘a thing’. My kids would think this so quaint and entirely not relevant, I’m sure. They like to ‘kidsplain’, culture to me, as if I have no clue whatsoever.

Maybe I am out of touch, in regards to the kind of world they live in. Or, it could be that the modern world is changing so fast, there is no time to keep up. I certainly realize, when I pull back the curtain on some new subject matter, there is so much more to learn. It can be overwhelming.

Where am I going with this line of thinking? Well, I am hoping, one day, to have my own version of, “…and they told two friends”. And yes, you can help me in that effort. But first, why?

Last year when I was travelling, finding myself or in my first mini-retirement, whatever I feel like calling those 18 months, I realized some clarity in my thoughts. I knew I wanted something different, but I struggled with what it was. Here are the thoughts and ideas which helped form my mission, ‘design a lifestyle you don’t need a vacation from’.

Creativity has to be at the centre of what I do, everyday

Want to work with like-minded people

Feel empowered

Create legacy

Serve other people

Curate content

Gather people in creative groups

Help educate young girls at risk

Give back to society

A creative movement

While these seem like good ideas, noble even, what does it mean in practice? How do I propose to show up in the world? What does all this have to do with, “…and they told two friends”?

I think that creativity is a path to wellness. And happiness. Probably improved physical heath. Wouldn’t it be cool if life’s problems could be solved with the right amount of creativity in our lives? In fact, I would go as far as declaring that walking a personal creative path leads away from stress and towards wellness instead.

For those I have surveyed on the topic of creativity, it literally shows up in all aspects of life. Creativity is not confined to a particular art or craft. It is the way we do things. It is our thoughts. It is our life. If you feel connected to these ideas, so far – welcome! If these ideas do not resonate, but you know someone who might benefit from this line of thinking, stay with me.

Once I determined that creativity is at the core, I was really inspired. However, the practices of creativity are all over the place. Yet, there were themes popping up. There are clusters of commonalities in the data. Whew. If not, I would be derailed before I even began!

I took all this information and asked people what they thought about a creative retreat. A much smaller group was interested in this idea, but still some consensus around the format and structure. This research gave me the confidence to stand in front of a group of 50 strangers and declare that I was going to host a creative retreat, in Vancouver in the fall of 2019, yikes!

Throughout my travels and dedication to personal growth, I have been building content. What that means for me is blog posts, a travel planning book, (in editing), and videos. This work has kept me very busy, especially since returning to a full-time position where I am covering a maternity leave.

All of this leads to where I am now. I’ve written for numerous websites. Almost completed my second book. Wrote, shot, edited and uploaded over 70 videos. Maintained several social media sites. Gathered over 200 like minded people to my mailing list. So, what do I hope for now? This is where, “…and they told two friends”, comes in.

If you feel compelled to share and help me create a network of like-minded people, here are some ideas for how telling two friends could work:

See you on the internet! Or IRL, the next time we meet. Thank-you for the support and helping me get the word out to our fellow creatives. If you don’t think you can make the creative retreat in September, do not fear. There will be a couple of different ways to participate online, as well as downloading the content to consume at your own pace.

Cheers and here is to designing a lifestyle we don’t need a vacation from!

Join me in this creative journey. I am on a mission to start a global movement, focusing on the importance of creativity in our daily lives. Together, let us see where we can take this. I look forward to hearing from you! Please share your thoughts. Feel free to send an email to: Christine@dailycreatives.com #creaspatreat

My creative year:
: : Developing, testing and enjoying a life I don’t need a vacation from while working in an office and commuting on public transit!
: : This is where my ideas for creaspatreat will come to life. Don’t miss any of it by joining us!
: : Check out new projects on my youtube channel called creative wandering. #dailycreatives

Daily Creatives can be found in these places:

Creative Wandering

Christine Westermark

Long term travel has taught me to be grateful, which is the opposite of fear. I have also learned that it is possible to be free from the epidemic of stress. Join me to design a lifestyle that you don’t need to take a vacation from! Sign up for daily creatives news to get started. Fill out the form on the left side of your screen and welcome to our tribe!